Lucid Mirror
by Sakura Mau Toki
Summary: Sometimes he wondered if it was all just a dream. Written for The Domain's recent challenge.


Author's Note: Not much to say about this piece, other than it being a sort of introspective/slice of life (if you can call it that) fic featuring Will, which was written for The Domain's recent challenge. The prompt and requirments being these:

Prompt: Dreams (good or bad)

Requirements:

- must be a oneshot;

- must contain a minumum of 500 words;

- must contain at least three of the following words/images: **fear** | floating | a destination or goal | falling | **the dark** | the light | **the color purple** (In reference to Will's hair colour)| _raindrops_ | a strong/intense emotion.

**Bold - **The words/images that I used for this fic.

_Italics - V_aguely implied within the fic.

The majority of this fic relies heavily on manga canon, specifically the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc and is set some time before the Heartgold/Soulsilver arc.

There's also not much in the way of pairings. There may be some Masakudoshipping (Will/Karen) if you squint, but it's generally a friendship piece that started out as something angsty but ended up completely different. I hope to write more fics with these two in the future.

Credit goes to Abysse for the fic title.

* * *

><p>It was a calm night; the wind was gentle and the moon shone brightly in the sky. <em>The kind of night Karen would like.<em> The dark-type master adored the evening, especially on full, moonlit nights where she and her Pokémon could experience true freedom.

Will, however, was the opposite.

Why he was out on a night like this, most would wonder. Will, however, knew full well why. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, no matter how hard he tried. All the fearful and painful memories that spawned from his dreams and nightmares, once again proved to be too much. Sleep had, yet again, eluded him, all thanks to one single dream.

With a sigh Will made his way to a clearing in between the trees; a small, clear blue pond greeted him as he took his spot underneath one of the nearby trees. Here he would sit for hours on end, reflecting on his dreams and memories until a certain friend of his would snap him out of his trance.

_I wonder how long until she shows this time?_ he mused, unable to hide a smile as a familiar voice greeted his ears.

"What are you doing out here again?" Karen came into view, her trusty umbreon at her side.

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" he countered, a wry smile on his lips as the dark-type master sighed.

"Then let me try again; why are you out here? What happened this time?" she inquired, a hint of impatience in her tone as she sat next to the psychic.

"The usual." Will gazed out over the pond as Karen let out a sigh.

"What triggered them this time, Will?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Old memories." His mind then wandered back to the days spent under the Mask of Ice. Memories of the countless days of training, battling, and trying to please their boss soon rose to the surface of his consciousness.

"For the love of-just tell me, Will!"

"If you insist." He reached into his vest and produced an odd object- a silver, almost metallic coloured mask with two, 'v' shaped slits for eyes, and another for a mouth. He had found it earlier in the evening, the mask itself buried under piles of old clothes and other objects. It had been a complete accident; Will was putting away his outfits from the day, and happened to catch a glimpse of silver from deep within his closet. The object was all it took for his night to be plagued by relentless dreams and memories, some so vivid that he caught himself wondering whether his current life was a dream, or if he would wake up in that same, tiny bed, preparing for the day ahead lest he be scolded for tardiness.

"You still _kept_ that?"

Will nodded. "Whether I like it or not, it's a part of me. There are too many memories, both good and bad, attached to it for me to let it go so easily," he explained, turning the object over in his hands as his tone grew distant, "too many to count." Countless nights of restless slumber were proof enough.

Karen sighed. "You're going to drive yourself mad, you know. Holding onto these things isn't healthy."

"Perhaps," he conceded, "but perhaps I'm already mad and you simply cannot see it." The statement itself wasn't too far off; there were days where he would try to achieve perfection, pushing himself to his limits out of fear of being punished for even the slightest error. Years of conditioning, beatings, and punishments weighed heavily on Will. and still haunted his mind to the point where he could think of little else. This caused him to wonder which life was truly real, and which was nothing more than a dream.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, a bit unnerved by the other's calm, slightly bitter smile.

"It could mean anything, or nothing at all."

Karen, mulling over Will's answer, began petting the umbreon who was now settled in her lap. "You're rather frustrating, you know? How I put up with you is beyond me."

"I've wondered that too, actually. Perhaps it's because you can't live without me?" He dodged a swipe from the dark-type master.

"Oh because that's always the reason," she retorted sarcastically, directing her gaze back to the mask in Will's hands.

"When you said there were good memories attached to it... what exactly did you mean?" Karen inquired, frowning as she observed the object in distaste. "There can't be any good that comes from such a thing."

Will simply smiled, taking Karen by slight surprise. "Or so you would think. This mask, while having its bad memories, contains a fair number of good ones that you simply cannot see." His smile soon turned into one of fondness. "Even though it reminds me of what I have left behind, it has reminded me of all that I gained in its place. I met new companions, new friends, and received training that I might never have gotten on my own... It also marks the time that we first met," he murmured softly, turning to Karen with his smile still in place. "That's one memory I never want to forget." No sooner had the words been spoken that Will came to a realization. Despite the countless hours of lost slumber, despite the vivid memories that plagued his mind, he would always have Karen to bring him back to reality and to the life he had now. _This_ was reality.

"Will..." Karen murmured, touched by her friend's words as the midnight breeze picked up.

"Hm, it looks like the rain has come again." Will's eyes focused on the dark clouds looming over the horizon, vaguely wondering how long it would last this time.

Karen gently prodded Umbreon out of her lap before rising to her feet. "And, once again, you change the subject; though I guess this means we should head back in. Can't have Lance throwing another fit, can we?"

Will chuckled. "No, I suppose not." He stood from his spot, brushing himself off as the umbreon stared at them both. "Not to mention that he'll tip off Lucian, who will then be on my back as well." He knew oh too well the lecture his brother would give him later, only to have Will shrug it off and ignore him as per usual.

"He worries too much, and reads too many books to be considered healthy."

Will laughed. "True; but he wouldn't have it any other way."

"Speaking of Lucian, he's going to be coming over sometime this week, isn't he?" she asked, the two of them now making light conversation as they headed towards the Plateau, both pushing the atmosphere of the previous moment behind them.

"That he is; sometime tomorrow, in fact."

"All the more reason to be sleeping instead of being out here." Karen looked at him pointedly, earning a small grin from Will.

"Yes, _mother_."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said, opening the door and leading them inside. "Now go to sleep."

Will smiled as he reached his bedroom door. "I will, I will; though to be honest, you should heed your own advice."

"I'll keep that in mind; now sleep." Karen smiled before beginning her trek down the hall towards her own room. "Night, Will."

"Goodnight, Karen," he murmured softly before entering the room, still reflecting on the various memories that lingered on the forefront of his mind. Deciding that enough was enough, Will took one last look at the mask before tossing it to the floor, the object glowing softly in the moonlight as Will traversed over to his bed. _Now let's try this again. _

**Fin.**


End file.
